Plug-receptacle and plug therefor.



H. R. SARGET.

PLUG- RBGBPTACLB AND ELUG THRREFQH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2, 1014,

p gm l i.406. Eatented Sept. 22, 1914.

9 Witnesses 2 inventor g/@Kay Howard R1 Sfargent, 7 f i Q17 'W HisJttorneg.

narran earner onirica.

newness a. sensatie, or scirannciaennew Yoan, Assreivon 'ro GENERALpancreas contrarier, consonantes or :New Yoan.

rLne-niiciieracnn een entre rasanten.

pplication ined etruery To all it may concern A.

:Be y1t lmown'that l, Hoi/vano R. tjassnnr, acitize'n .of the' UnitedStates, residing at Sbhenectady, in. thev county of Schenectady,

State of New York, have invented certain nlevvand useful improvements inPlug-hie- .ieptacles and Plugs Theretor, 'ci -which the following is yaspecification. i

=My :invention relates'to plug receptacles and'plugs forinakingIconnections to electric circuits', and especially to receptaclesable-for installation in Walls, floors, andether situations Wheretemporary electrical connections arerom time to time desired.

itfismyraimthat everything necessary to the making of the connection.shall be eftested by merely insertingsthe plug deviceinith'erecepta'cle, and that when the plug is Withdrawn the interior ofthe receptacle and the electricalcontact means therein shall beprotectedl 'by automatic closure of the plug opening or openings, sothat'the receptacle will be atonce thoroughly safe and in 'the highestdegree 'convenient and sightly.

'iln important advantage of my invention is that it can easily be"applied to various commercial types of receptacles that donot possessthese rea-tures, and that in the case of such receptacles alreadyinstalled and in use this can be done as easily in the case cireceptacles not installe@ivithoutrenioval of` the receptacle proper fromits' setting, disturbance of its electrical parts or con nections, ordisligur'ement otite surroundings. Other advantages obtainable inconnection with the' invention include sinipliclity, ruggedness, anddurability o'construction; ease and cheapiiess of manufac-'tureyfacility of installation; reedcm fromderangement; and goodappearance under all conditions of use. y

" Inv accordance with my invention, l provide the receptacle With afront or face plate fap'ertured for the insertion of the plug device,and l also provide closure means or doors for said frontthatvautoniatically tend to-close 'and remain closed but open inward toadmit -the plug device when the saine is pressed against them, securingor mounting vthe doors so that they approach one another as they open,.as by pivoting them at their y. adjacent sides Application ci@ theinvention -to rece'atacies of previene l cen'iniercial Specication ofLetters datent.

p Patented sept. 22, i914. 2, isis. serialno. 315,919.

types is facilitated by securing the doors to the front of thereceptacle, and this is also advantageous as tending to insure that theyshall close properly and not get out of adyustinent, s for the plugdevice, I provide it with plug members separated so that they may passat either side of the opening doors,

which thus lie between them When the plug is in plage in the receptacle.These plug members comprise contact means for engagenient with thecontact means of the receptacle and insulating means for preventingshortncircuit during or after insertion'of the 'plug device. i

l have herein illustrated and describeda receptacle having 'an easilyremovable front or face plate provided with two separate openings forthe plug members and vvith doors 'pivoted at adjacent sides behind theportion thereof between said openings, and

l' have shown a plug device Whose plug.

members proper comprise plug parts of insulating material and contactssecured at the remote sides of such parts. l/Vhile, however, myinvention extends to these and other speciiic features and details andcombina'- tions and arrangements of parts embodied in these particularstructures-Which are the best for the purposes of the invention atpresent known to ina-yet the invention is not confined thereto, but canbe otherwise carried out and applied.

ln the accompanying drawing, Figure l l is a side View of a receptacleconstructed in accordance with my invention With a plug device in placein it. Fig. 2 is a similar sectional vievv of the receptacle. Fig. 3 isa plan or interior view of the receptacle with its front removed. Fig. 4is a fragmentary rear view of a portion of the front of the receptacle."Fig.` 5 is a sectional side view of the plug device .in position forinsertion in the receptacle of Fig. 2. Fig. G is a view of the plugdevice at an angle of ninetv degrees `from its position as shown. inFig. 5.

Referring'rst to. Figs. 1, 2, and 3,' it will be seen that thereceptacle structure shown comprises an oblong box-like b'ody orrecepjw.

body l by means or" 'screws Bthat engage li'olesf in brackets y on 'fetr 5 "attached Sito ductors.

seid body and provided with other holes 6 for the screws that willordinarily be used to secure the receptacle in place. The contacts '7 ofthe receptacle are arrangedin the body 1 at opposite ends'thereo, andthey are carried by terminal pieces 8 secured in lateral recesses atdiagonally opposite corners of the body and provided withv screws 2 for.the attachment of current supply con- The .contacts are referably maderesilient so as to hold the plug device iirrnly in place and make goodeectrical connection with its contac'ts,-since resilient contacts onVthe plug device would be continually liable to accidental distortion orlgxi'ealrage. As shown, each of the contacts '7 consists or" anoriginally L shaped piece of cold rolled sheet copper or other suitablef material with the bottom portion of the L secured to the terminal soas to entend part `across the end Wall of the body 1 and tbe otherportion' bent over so as to extend at a slight angle with the end Wallalmost to the bottoni Wall.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 4.-, it will be seen that the doors 1U i'orthe rectangular plug openings 11 in the front plate 2 are proportionedandarranged to fit said openings closely (though not tightly) with theiriront suri'aces iush 'with the surface oi said front 2, so that whenclosed they will be as inconspicuous and as nearly invisible aspossibleThese doorshave at their adjacent sides oredges pivot-receiving means 1nthe form of lugs 12 that extend behind the "bridge9 portion 13 of thefront plate between the openings 11, and a common pivot entends slongthe middle oi the bridge 13 through the lugs 12 or" both doors. Thedoors 10 and the bridge 13 for most of its length are of equal thicknessand thinner than the front plate 2 as a Whole, and the lugs 12 arearranged to lie against one another and between the shoulders at theends of the thin part of thebridge 13 so that the doors will svvingWithout lateral ploy. The tendency of the doors 10 to close end remainclosed is due to a helical spring 15 coiled around the pivot 1d betweenadjacent lugs 12 with its ends against the doors, this spring beingunder such tension that it continually urges the doors apart and outwardinto closed position with ample tiiougbyieiding force. The vdoors 10 areprevented from opening outward under'the action or the-spring 16 byengagement of their adjacent edges `With the-corresponding edgeso thebridge 13,-. by engagement of the. lugs 12 with the rear surface of saidbridge, and by means of stop lugs 17- near the free edges of the doors tat engage the rear surface of the front plate 2. As shown,

the lugs 12 andl 17 of each door 10 are bent? up from a metal piece 18riveted to the back of the door, and theends of the pivot 14 vof thereceptacle.

are clamped in slots in rearwardly extend ing studs 19 secured in theplate 2 about Hush with the shoulders 15.

Corning, now, to the plug device 2O shown in Figs. l, 5 and 6, it Willbe seen that each of its plug members 21 comprises a ontact 22 forengagement with one of the receptacle contacts 7 and insulating meansbetween the two contacts 22. The insulating means shown consist ofapproximately rectangular lug parts 23 of molded insulatin compound) orother suitable material unite byan integral body piece 24:, and the4contacts 22 consist of metal strips a little nerroWer than the plugparts 28 secured at the remote sides of theletter by any suitable means,these strips being bent so that portions 25 of them extend around on theends of the parts 23. As shown, the-contact strips 22 have beveled edgesthat are slightly embedded inthe material of the plug parte 23 lWhenthelatter are molded, und they areA alsof-held in place by bolt-iikemembers 26 forming part of the eiectri-oel connes#l tions to them. Thesemembers 25 extend through terminals 27 seated in depressions et theouter side of the body 24 and through noles molded in said parte 2B-andthreaded into thenend portions 25 of seid contacts 22. At their 'inneradjacent edges 28 the plug parts 23 project beyond the end portions 25of the contacts 22 so as to engage the doors 10 as the plug device 2) isinserted in the receptacle and Withdrawn, and they are slightly roundedat all their edges to facilitate their movement in con tact with thevarious parts of the recep# tacle. A metal cap or cover 30 having clining 31 of fiber or other insulating mate rial and en insulatinonipple or bushing 32 for the psssageof the current conductors is securedover the body `piece 2liby screws 33 that enter recesses (not shown) inthe sides of said body.

When the plug device 2O is inserted in the receptacle the doors -10approach one another and recede from thereceptacle contacts I, beingfinally accommodated between the plug members 2.1 Where they areinvisible and rather tend to reinforce the contacts 7 in holding theplug device firmly but yield ingly in place than to force said deviceout With the various parts arranged and. proportioned as shown, it-Willbe found impossible to insert the plug device 2Q insuch s Wayas' tocause a short circuit through contact-'of the stri s 22 with any of theother metal parts a er they engage either or' both of' the receptaclecontacts l7.

By proper. location of the holes for the screws 3 or the like and properarrangement .and proportioninv' of the'doors 10, a cover plate 2 such asf have illustrated and described can be designed for almost any of theold styles of receptacles now in use, and a is i equlp ed receptacle canbe des1gned l with i vegyhittle more trouble.

at I claim as new and desire to secure 1. The combination of a plugdevice hav- -ing suitably separated plug members pro er comprisingelectrical Contact means, a p ug receptacle having therein electricalcontact means for engagement with the 4Contact means of said plug deviceand also havin a front aperturd-for the insertion of the p ug device,and automatically closing doors for said front which open inward toadmit said plug members so'mounted as to approach one another in openingand lie between the plug members when open.

. 2. AThe combination with a plug receptacle having electrical contactstherein and a front apertured for the insertion of a plug device betweensaid receptacle contacts, of automatically closing doorsfor said frontwhich open inward to admit the plu members proper of said plug device,said oors being pivoted at their adjacent sides so as tol ap` 'proachone another and recede from the receptacle contacts as they open.

3. A front for a plug receptacle apertured for the insertion of a plugdevice and having automatically closing doors which open inward to admitthe plug members proper of said device, said doors e secured on saidfront as. to Yapproach one another in opening and to lie between theplug members when open.

4.-. A front for a plug receptacle apertured' for the insertion of aplug device and having automatically closing doors which open inward toadmit the plug. members proper of said device, said doors being pivotedat their adjacent sides and thus approaching one another as they open.

5. A front for a plug receptacle apertured ing so mounted and for theinsertion of a plugl device and having automatically closing inwardlyopening doors for the admission-of the plug members 'proper of saiddevice; said -doors being pivoted at their adjacent sides on a commonpivot.

6. The combinationl with a front for a plug receptacle apertured for theinsertion of a plug device, of two doors for the admission of the plugmembers proper of said device having pivot-receiving means at theiradjacent sides. and also having means for preventing them from openingoutward, a common pivot extendin through the pivot-receivi means of botdoors and secured to sai front, and a spring ciled around said ivot withits ends against said doors wherebyv they are yieldingly urged outwardinto closed position.

7. Affront for a plug rece tacle having openings for the insertion oftiie plu members proper of a plug device and also aving automaticallyclosing inwardly opening doors for said openings pivoted at theiradjacent sides behlnd the portion of the front between said openings.

8. A plug device for making connection with electrical contacts in areceptacle comprising separate plug parts of insulating material and abody uniting them, contacts for engagement with the receptacle contactsexposed on the remote sides and the ends of said plug parts, and membersforming part of the electrical connections to said plug contactsextending through said plug parts to the other side of said body andserving to secure the plug contacts in place.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of January1914.

HOXARD R. SARGENT. Witnesses: l

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN ORFORD.

